


I'm Yours To Keep

by catwing



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, terrible horrible Teens, terrible horrible misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 05:05:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catwing/pseuds/catwing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin was supposed to give Haru something to say "yes" to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Yours To Keep

After the relay, Rin started coming around of his own accord. The first time, he simply showed up on Haru's doorstep looking sheepish around eleven at night and muttered, "Yo, let's swim," when Haru opened the door.

"Ok." Haru said.

When Haru stepped out and locked the door behind him, Rin gaped at him for a second like he wasn't expecting him to agree. Haru stepped aside to hide the key under a fence post and when he turned back Rin looked defensive and surly again. Haru kind of liked that, now that things were ok between the two of them. He liked Rin's eyebrow furrow and his sort of petulant scowl. He liked Rin's sharp jawline and sharper teeth. He liked Rin. He wanted to swim with him. Truth be told, he'd been hoping Rin would show up.

He raised his eyebrows as if to say, _so what's the plan_ , and Rin just shrugged.

"Your pool or mine?" Rin said, and flashed a grin at him.

They ended up at the Iwatobi pool, climbing the fence and dropping down hard enough on the other side that it made Haru's ankles sting.

He caught Rin staring when he pulled his pajama t-shirt over his head, but Rin probably caught him looking pleased about it, so Haru figured they were even. Haru met his eyes before turning and diving into the pool and when he came to the surface Rin was in the water. Haru drifted to him.

Rin's hair was clinging to his face and there were droplets of water on his lips and his shoulders. Haru stared up at him, wide-eyed and face halfway in the water and felt a wave of heat wash over him from the inside out as Rin brushed the water out of his eyes. 

 _Why doesn't Rin kiss me_ , he thought impatiently.

"What," Rin snapped when he noticed him looking. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Haru bobbed up out of the water a few inches.

"Like what."

"Annoyed." Rin gestured at his face as if to say, _like that._

Hary shrugged and frowned and ducked under the water.

* * *

They fell into a pattern, Rin showing up at Haru's house, or at school to say hi to everyone, or texting him to see what his plans were. Haru got in the habit of checking his phone.

One afternoon he remembered to check when he was lying on Mako's bed doing homework, prompting Mako to look first astonished and then irritatingly knowing. Haru gave him an aggressively apathetic face and he thought he heard Mako muffle a fond chuckle as Haru pointedly bent back over his worksheet.

He thought about Rin all the time, which wasn't new, but it was different now. All of a sudden, thinking about him didn't bring down storm clouds. It was an immense relief, being able to think about Rin without the thoughts pulling him in on himself and making him feel like he needed to stop thinking altogether for a long time. When he didn't feel guilty or sad or angry or (for the most part) annoyed, thinking about Rin just felt good. Even thinking about him being ridiculous, being awful, being frustrating as hell, made Haru feel oddly contented and affectionate.

When he didn't have to think about Rin in terms of how they'd hurt each other, Haru found his thoughts drifted farther and farther in romantic daydream territory. He wanted Rin around all the time. He wanted Rin to lie around in his bed. He wanted Rin to fall asleep there. He wanted to kiss Rin and run his tongue over his teeth. He wanted to hold Rin against his chest for hours and hours until Rin got it. Until he understood what he meant to him.

He was certain Rin wanted all that too. Rin looked at him sort of desperately. Rin sought him out and then got gruff and bashful when he had his attention. Rin was a disaster,  but Haru had known him and loved him too long not to get it when Rin put an arm around Haru's shoulders and then wouldn't look at him. When he found excuses to touch him and then acted skittish like he was getting away with something, even with Haru leaning into him.

Haru remembered Rin hugging him when they were kids, looking at him expectantly, giggling nervously.

Rin wanting him had ended up one of the immovable certainties of Haru's life, like water or like needing to come up for air. Haru was only ever waiting for him to ask.

* * *

It had been about a month since the relay when Nagisa decided the five of them needed to have a sleepover.

"To celebrate Rin-chan's re-etry into the group!" he'd said. "And we'll use Haru-chan's house so there won't be parents."

Nagisa exhausted Haru sometimes, especially the way he casually breezed past painful topics and kept going like they were nothing, using more words, more _sentances_ , than he needed to, like he just enjoyed talking. Haru couldn't comprehend it.

Nevertheless, Nagisa said they were having a sleepover at Haru's, so a sleepover at Haru's was what they had. Nagisa and Rei showed up early with junk food and video games and DVDs and started bustling around in his kitchen getting ready.

Rin showed up last. He chatted with Rei a bit, but gravitated to Haru eventually, settling down by him on the floor in a corner.

"What's up," he said, and Haru swore he blushed a tiny bit.

 _Kiss me_ , thought Haru. He shrugged and ignored him.

To his surprise, after a minute Rin laughed.

"Haru you're being the shittiest party host I've even seen."

Haru bristled.

"I'd like to see you do better," he snapped. Rin practically beamed at him. Something across between that and a leer. His eyes crinkled up and everything.

"You know I could."

Haru made a contemputous noise.

"This was Nagisa's idea, anyway." Haru turned his face away. He was positive Rin already knew that.

Rin was still grinning at him. Their shoulders brushed.

 _He probably did that on purpose_ , Haru thought with irritation.

"If you sneak away to take a bath in the middle of _your_ party I'll never let you forget it," Rin said, putting exageratted emphasis on the word "your." Haru was going to throw a party for real just to spite him.

Rin smiling at him was doing infuriatingly pleasant things to Haru's stomach, so he got up in a huff and only let Rin catch him looking back once.

Later, when Rin had issued video game challenges to Haru twice, Nagisa and Rei had been caught making out in the kitchen once, and Makoto had given Haru prompting looks when Rin flirted with him too many times to count or withstand, the five of them sprawled out on the living room in a pile of blankets and slept. Makoto planted himself firmly between Nagisa and Rei and Rin ended up sandwiched awkwardly between Haru and a wall. 

Haru lay still, listened to the rustling sounds of everyone else getting comfortable and drifting off, but couldn't sleep. After an hour or so he was just starting to seriously consider getting up and taking a bath after all when Rin started shifting.

Haru turned his head just in time to see Rin roll over onto him, throwing an arm across Haru's chest and nuzzling his face into his collerbone. Haru froze for a second, then exhaled shakily, wide-eyed. Rin's hair smelled like citrusy shampoo and his weight was heavy but not uncomfortable. If he woke Rin up now he'd only be embarassed. Haru let his chin settle on the top of Rin's head. He was so warm.

When he woke a few hours had passed, and it was because Rin practically elbowed him in the face. He had drooled on Haru's t-shirt while they slept and was now shifting around in his sleep again. As gently as he could figure how to, Haru pushed him off and to the side, which had the unfortunate side effect of waking Rin up.

"Haru?" he mumbled groggily. "Why'd you shove me."

Haru felt peevish. "Because you drooled on me and then almost hit me in the nose."

Rin squinted at him like what he had just said made absolutely zero sense, but was possibly an insult. Haru sighed.

"Forget it." He said, and, maybe because he was half asleep himself, he pulled Rin by the arm to lie down facing him, close. Rin suddenly looked wide awake and also like Haru was a snake that had started barking at him.

"Are you always such a restless sleeper?" Haru said, low and tired.

He scooted a tiny bit closer to Rin's face and blinked sleepily at him. Rin's eyelashes were red and there was a tiny, startled crease between his eyebrows Haru wanted to kiss away.

 _Don't be afraid of me_ , Haru thought. _Why would you ever._

Rin made an abortive choked noise.  
  
"Um," he said, "I'm not sure, I haven't slept in the same b- near someone else in forever. Roommates have never said anything."

"Mm." Haru could feel Rin breathing they were so close.

 _Just kiss me_ , he thought.

But Rin didn't, so Haru drifted off listening to him pretend to be asleep.

* * *

The next time he was over at Makoto's house, Mako kept bringing up Rin casually and Haru kept making irritated huffing noises whenever he did.

He couldn't help it. He was annoyed with Rin and his obnoxious hair that looked amazing underwater and his obnoxious loud laugh that made Haru's chest feel too tight and his obnoxious stubborn refusal to tell Haru how he felt even though they both knew.

It was Rin's job to make the first move, after all. Wasn't that how it had always been between the two of them? Rin barreling along at break-neck speed and dragging Haru with him? Caring so much about Haru and about everything that Haru ended up engaging and reciprocating in spite of himself?

Rin was supposed to make things happen. Rin was supposed to give Haru something to say "yes" or "no" to. But he wouldn't and Haru couldn't imagine why when his "yes" was eating away at him from the inside.

"Haru," Makoto finally said, kicking Haru's foot.

"Yes?" Haru said, kicking back.

"I don't think he's going to confess to you."

Haru grimaced and set his shoulders.

"Why _not_." He demanded, after a pause. He kicked at Mako's bedspread a little harder than he thought it fair to kick his foot.

Mako laughed gently.

"Maybe he's afraid of you rejecting him." Consoling foot pat.

"That's ridiculous." Haru scowled.

Makoto shrugged.

"Not everyone can read you like I can," he said, "and Rin is..." he shrugged again and sighed.

Haru huffed once more, with feeling.

* * *

Haru initiated their next swimming rendezvous. He texted Rin to ask him and everything. When Haru got to the Iwatobi pool Rin was already sitting on the far edge dangling his feet in, wearing a t-shirt and his jammers, so Haru hurried to climb the fence. (He'd gotten better at it since they'd started doing this.)

Once inside, Haru approached the edge of the pool and started undressing, unbuttoning his shirt, pulling off his t-shirt and undoing his belt before tossing them aside and into a pile. If he took his time doing it, casually, keeping his eyes down so Rin could watch, well... desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that.

Finally he dove into the pool and swam across, coming up right by Rin. His ripples were colliding with Rin's calves.

"Hi," Haru said. He had water droplets in his eyelashes that he didn't bother to brush away. Rin was starting to give him that look like he might bite again, so Haru reached out and tugged him into the pool by his leg with a splash.

Rin was scowling when he surfaced, but it was a little forced, like he was fighting back laughter. He peeled his wet t-shirt off and then lunged at Haru, definitely laughing now, shoving him just enough for his head to go under.

When Haru surfaced a second later, Rin's arms were still on his shoulders.

"You ass." They were so close.

"You like me," Rin said, but it turned a touch tremulous half way through, like a question.

"Sure." Haru leaned even closer. Their noses were practically touching. Haru was almost straddling him. _Come the fuck on._

Rin pulled away. He laughed and it sounded a little hysterical. Haru was straight up glaring at him, sinking down almost to his eyes into the water in despair.

"Um," said Rin. "Do you want to do laps?" Glare.

"Ok, well. I'm going to." Rin took off at lightspeed. Haru went the rest of the way under and pressed his palms against his eyes.

* * *

The next day Haru went to Samezuka. He'd had the whole school day to deliberate and his mind was made up. He just had to do it. He just had to demand that Rin confess to him, and quick, before Haru combusted from wanting to say "yes" so badly. Clearly nothing else was going to get through to the stubborn jackass.

Haru asked for Rin at the front desk and then glowered at passersby while he waited. When Rin finally came out Haru practically rounded on him.

"Woah, what's wrong?" Rin said.

"We need to talk." Haru said shortly.

Rin lead him out behind the school, looking more profoundly concerned than anything.

"Ok, what's up," he said finally, leaning back against the wall.

Haru opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. He pressed a knuckle to his upper lip. This was hard.

"Well, what is it?" Rin snapped after several moments.

"Hey, don't rush me," Haru shot back, flaring up. "I wouldn't even have to do this if you would just..."

"Just what?" Rin didn't even seem mad so much as like Haru was scaring him. Haru sighed, he was freaking Rin out, he needed to just get to the point.

"Just... tell me you have feelings for me," he finally said.

Rin's mouth dropped open. He looked like he'd been slapped.

"Fuck," he finally said, quietly, leaning more heavily against the wall like he needed support. He sounded defeated. Haru furrowed his brow, baffled.

"How did you know?" Rin said, tense.

"I can just tell?" Haru ventured. He felt like he was missing something.

"Do you..." Rin's voice started rising. "Do you not want to hang out anymore? Do you not want me to come around Iwatobi? Do you, I don't know, do you hate me?"

Haru stared.

"What? No, I love you." Haru said, stunned, because it was true, and because what in the hell was Rin talking about.

" _What?_ " Rin gaped at him, looking downright harrowed.

"I have feelings for you," Haru clarified. Whatever. He felt vaguely in shock.

"I... wow." If there hadn't been a wall, Rin looked like he might fall over. "Holy shit. Holy fucking shit."

"Yeah." Haru said softly, collecting himself. 

He took a step forward, tentatively, and brushed his fingers across Rin's hair and his jaw before leaning in and kissing him as gently as he could manage. He felt Rin needed to be kissed gently, with his wide, scared eyes and his anxious, furrowed brow and his bizarre, incomprehensible ideas about how Haru would react to his feelings. Haru couldn't _believe_ him. He kissed Rin's lips tenderly over and over, Rin's breathing increasingly ragged against him, until Rin brought his hands up to Haru's chest and pushed him back slightly.

"Are you seriously fucking telling me you've liked me back this entire time?" Rin said, slowly and with difficulty, like he was still trying to comprehend it.

"Yes." Haru responded. He wanted to keep kissing.

"Jesus christ."

Haru sighed and pulled back a little more. "I thought I made it obvious."

"I... I just thought you were being weird? I guess?" Rin looked like he felt roughly the same way Haru had been feeling for the last few months about that. "I didn't think you would... could feel the same? I..."

"It's ok." Haru said, and it really was, now.

Haru brushed Rin's hair back from his eyes and ran his thumb over Rin's cheek. He wasn't sure who initiated the kiss that time, they just fell together. Rin wrapped his arms around Haru's waist and pulled him in, and Haru got his hands in Rin's hair to do the same. When Haru broke for air with a gasp Rin bit his lip and Haru sighed back into his mouth, letting Rin hold him close and kiss him hard. Rin's desperation was acutely familiar. He realized he was kissing back the exact same way.

* * *

When they finally broke apart again, Haru reached down and took Rin's hand in his. 

"Let's swim together," he said, and kissed the corner of Rin's mouth one more time before moving away.

"Are you sure?" Rin asked, stepping away from the wall a touch shakily. "There'll be people at the pool. It's gonna be really obvious what we've been doing." Rin glanced over Haru's neck and lips, a slightly rueful expression on his face. Rin's own hair was pretty thoroughly disheveled.

Haru shrugged. He was ok with that if Rin was.

"I don't care," he said.

Rin smiled at him, and he smiled back.


End file.
